Stanford keeps Rose Bowl hopes alive

STANFORD — It took good fortune and a breathtaking play, but Stanford stayed alive in the Rose Bowl race Saturday with a 27-23 victory over Oregon State at Stanford Stadium.

The Cardinal dominated early, watched the Beavers reel off 23 consecutive points, then rallied with two touchdowns to overcome one of its sloppiest performances of the season.

Stanford committed eight penalties and season-high four turnovers. But the defense saved the day, holding Oregon State to just three points on the ensuing possessions.

"We weren't perfect today," said Cardinal coach David Shaw, whose team will have to be flawless next week when it visits No. 2 Oregon. "But the one thing you can count on with our guys is they are going to fight all the way to the end, and they did that."

Stanford's latest come-from-behind victory ? this was the third of the season, all at home — began with a dazzling 40-yard catch-and-run by tailback Stepfan Taylor that pulled the Cardinal within 23-21.

Stanford caught its biggest break of the season midway through the fourth quarter, when Beavers quarterback Cody Vaz dropped the ball during a scramble. Stanford recovered and quickly turned the gaffe into the game-winning touchdown: a 13-yard pass from freshman quarterback Kevin Hogan to tight end Zach Ertz with five minutes remaining.

"I saw good coverage, but anytime you can get Zach out there 1-on-1 ? not many people can cover him," said Hogan, who had three touchdown passes and two interceptions in the first start. 'He ran a great route to get behind the defense."

The victory cleared two paths to the Rose Bowl for the No. 16 Cardinal:

· If Stanford (8-2, 6-1) runs the table, it would head to Pasadena as the Pac-12 champion.

· If Stanford loses to Oregon next week but beats UCLA in the regular-season finale, it could reach the Rose Bowl as an at-large qualifier.

That scenario depends on the results of other games and would require Oregon to jump into the national championship.

For now, the Cardinal's priority is the path to Pasadena that involves winning the conference title.

The fourth-quarter escape against Oregon State allowed Stanford to conclude its home season with a 6-0 record. (Five of the wins have been by a touchdown or less.) The senior class, which includes Taylor, has lost just two home games in four years: to Cal in '09 and Oregon last season.

"It has been an emotional day for a lot of us," senior linebacker Alex Debniak said.

The Cardinal dominated early as Hogan directed a 93-yard touchdown drive ? the longest of the season ? midway through the fist quarter.

Stanford held OSU without a first down and took possession at its 20. Ten plays later, Hogan rolled right and hit fullback Ryan Hewitt for a 12-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.

Editor's note: The game between No. 2 Oregon and Cal did not finish until after The Herald's press time.